Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan reluctant to be dictated by companies from the United States, Tesla if you want to invest in Indonesia.
Luhut said that the electric car manufacturer from the US had recently expressed interest in investing in Indonesia. In the past, Tesla had wanted to invest but failed.
“This morning, I got a call from America, Tesla said he wanted to make deal with us,” said Luhut at the Closing Ceremony Business Matching Domestic Product Shopping 2022 in Bali, Thursday (24/3) as quoted from Between.
Luhut said that in the past Tesla canceled investing in electric car batteries in Indonesia because it was too dictating. Now Luhut refuses to have it happen again.
“I said, ‘Hey you, two years ago, you called me to make a lithium battery.’ You all want to dictate, I said, ‘Hey you cannot do this. Today is different. We have to be the same’. I said, ‘You can’t do that anymore. This country is not banana republic! This country is a great country!” he added.
Luhut reminded that Tesla must follow the requirements of the Indonesian government if it wants to invest, not the other way around.
He emphasized that companies from other countries are also subject to the conditions given by the Indonesian government when they want to invest. So Tesla should be too.
“I don’t want to come deal, don’t you (Tesla) make conditions for us. I made the conditions for you because that’s what I did to China,” said Luhut.
“China has never given me conditions, I (who) gave conditions. Do you want it if we have to go B to B? first class technology, must be environmentally friendly. He said he could, (so), okay deal,” he added
Luhut explained that currently Indonesia already has business agreements with electric vehicle battery companies from China and South Korea, namely CATL and LG.
The collaboration with the two companies is believed to be able to make Indonesia more involved in the lithium battery market in the world. Moreover, in 2024, Indonesia is targeted to start producing lithium batteries.
(Between/bmw)
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